Bitty Book Club

Bitty Book Club, a program for caregivers and their children between the ages of 2-5, is a collaboration between the Family Resource Center, Progressive Beginnings, and the Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, WI.  The monthly family engagement program brings Parent Educators, Physical Therapists, Librarians, and families together to encourage a child’s motor, language, and social development.

Bitty Book Club is run similarly to a storytime, in that it features a book, music, and developmentally appropriate activities that support school readiness skills with a focus on relationship building.  What makes it unique, is that each family is given a copy of the same book, which is read together as a group.  There is also a stronger focus on socialization and free play than a traditional storytime program, as the read aloud is only a small portion of the time spent together. Additionally, trained Parent Educators and Physical Therapists are present to point out child development milestones to watch for, and answer any questions that parents have. 

The program runs for 1 hour, twice monthly, on a Tuesday morning and afternoon.  The first 15 minutes of the program are an opportunity for children and their caregivers to get comfortable in the space while listening to music and sharing toys like magnatiles, magnet letters, a balance beam, and a variety of table top activities that encourage matching and/or sorting.   Next, a Parent Educator or Librarian reads the story aloud, prompting choral reading moments, movement, or encouraging caregivers to point out details in illustrations.  The idea is to model the way a book can be extended by reading more than just the words on the page.  The book may be followed up with a related finger play, rhyme, or song.  During the last 30 minutes of the program, families are invited to explore additional activities that are inspired by the book- which could range from a movement path, sensory bins, process art activities, or a selection of carefully curated toys and manipulatives.

The Family Resource Center and Progressive Beginnings provide several staff members who plan activities, bring toys, manipulatives, and craft supplies.  The Library provides the space, purchases copies of the book, and supplements any craft materials that may be needed.  Staff from all organizations collaborate on book selections that can both be used to support developmental milestones, the interest of participants (as collected through surveys), and are available within budget.  All organizations involved help with marketing the program.  An average total of 4 staff members facilitate the program, with a growing average of 40 people in attendance per session.  Pre-registration for families is not required, and books are available on a first come, first served basis.    

The program continues to attract new families each month.  Caregivers are learning new ways to read books with their children. “This program is a great way for me to learn how to do more than just read the book with my child.” said one participant.  Caregivers shared that because of this program, they plan to do things like singing songs with books, asking questions about the illustrations, and replicate some of the fine motor activities from the sessions.  For staff, it is an opportunity to build community, collaborate with and learn from other professionals, and to cross promote services of all organizations involved.  

If you have questions about Bitty Book Club you can reach out to: Alison Loewen, Librarian, Mead Public Library alison.loewen@meadpl.org ; Darlyn Summers, Parent Educator, Family Resource Center dsummers@frc-sc.org; Jessica Oakland, PT DPT, Progressive Beginnings jessicapt@progbeg.com 

Preschool Prom!

Ah, prom.  An evening of fancy outfits, dancing, and shenanigans.

But why should high schoolers get to have all the fun?

Recently, we held our first-ever Preschool Prom at the library.  Our littlest patrons and their grown-ups were encouraged to don their fanciest attire and shake, wiggle, and giggle--and enjoy snacks, of course.

The great thing about this program was, once in full swing, it basically ran itself.  Kids love to dance--either with each other or a grown up--so in terms of staff responsibility, the main concerns were crowd control and shaking your groove thing.

To create a prom-like atmosphere, a few select accessories and crafts were planned and/or assembled ahead of time.

• Wee corsages!  (Fake flowers + ribbon + hot glue = super cute fancy accessories for the entire crew!)
  
• "Fancy" beverages! (sparkly ribbons and double-sided tape make even the simplest water bottles look mighty fancy)
  
• DIY Crowns!  (Why choose one king and queen when EVERYONE can be royalty?!)
  
• Create Your Own Scepter Station! (Craft sticks, die-cut shapes, crayons, and washi tape--oh my!)
  
• Balloons!  Oh, the balloons!
• A super sweet, dance-tastic playlist!
• Photo ops!
  
• Snacks!  (We kept it simple and kid-friendly: string cheese, popcorn, cookies, and water.)

This program was fun, easy, and loved by attendees of all ages.  It'll definitely a recurring offering in the library's programming schedule.

                           

   

ALSC Webinar: New Media and Preschool Services

Tuesday, August 14

11:00AM (Central)

New media is everywhere and children are using it. This webinar will focus on real best practices of incorporating new media into preschool services.
What are some specific apps that are age appropriate for preschoolers? How much time should be devoted to using an iPad or other tablets in a preschool storytime? What are the pros and cons of leading a digital-focused preschool storytime versus a traditional preschool storytime?

Instructors:
Claudia Haines, Youth Services Librarian, Homer Public Library (Alaska)
Melissa Ronning, librarian who works for institutions that promote the accessibility of digital resources to the entire community
Laura Jenkins, Library Services Clerk, Huntington Beach Public Library

Learn more and register HERE.

Robot Storytime: Coding for Preschoolers

Coding is the hottest thing in libraries since the electronic card catalog, but how do we bring coding to our littlest patrons?  In a recent blog post, Jenn Carson, Library Director of LP Fisher Public Library, Woodstock, N.B., Canada, discusses her search for STEM programming targeting a preschool-age audience.  She touches on wanting a no-screen option if possible, as well as something durable and suitable for a large group.  Her solution?  Cubetto, a wooden robot produced by Primo Toys.  Operation does not require a device, the wooden base body is very sturdy, and Cubetto comes with storybooks!  Check out Carson's search and results in their entirety HERE.

Passive Programming for Little Ones

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ALSC blog is a wonderful resource for all aspects of children's services, especially programming. One post recently caught my attention because it focused on passive programming for toddlers and preschoolers. I had been searching for ideas to freshen up my offerings for that age group. I also had an eye out for ideas that weren't too staff intensive

Guest blogger Natalie Braham of the Denver Public Library detailed her branch's experience with their early literacy passive program in the post "Passive programming and early literacy: designing creative spaces for young learners".  The staff wanted to add play opportunities, especially in the colder months, but did not want to use staff to monitor the room. Caregivers were required to be in the room. They also struggled with finding toys that would work for ages 6 months to 5 years old. I have also experience this program in my search for toys for in-library use.

Their program is up and running and they are looking to expand it.  I'm excited to try something like this at my library. How have you incorporated play into your programming?

Read On Wisconsin 2016 - 2017 Titles Annouced!

Read On Wisconsin (ROW) is a state-wide literacy program, administered by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, that promotes high-quality books for children and teens. Each month features one or more Read On Wisconsin titles for children and teens in five different age-level groups.  And the 2016 - 2017 titles have just been released!  Check out the titles HERE.

 

Mornings with YSS at WAPL 2016

Attending WAPL? Hooray! Not sure yet? Below are three great reasons to attend the 2016 conference in Oshkosh. See the full slate of programs put together by your Wisconsin library colleagues here on the WLA website. The blog will be featuring WAPL YSS programs over the next several days. These sessions are sure to be informative, inspiring, and even better - implementable at your library. 

Sensory Programs That Make Sense

10:30 - 11:30 am on Thursday, May 12

Abby Bussen, Muskego Public Library

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Want to start offering scheduled sensory opportunities at your library, but aren't sure where to start? Let Abby Bussen, Children's Librarian, help build your confidence and know-how in this informative, hands-on presentation. She'll focus on planning sensory programs for babies, toddlers and preschoolers as well as for special needs children, giving you actionable information you can put to use in planning your own one-off or continuing program, and encouraging you to get your hands a little dirty with some sensory experiences to enjoy as a group. A veteran sensory program planner, Bussen has been running monthly sensory playdates for over a year.

If You're Appy and You Know It…

8:30 – 9:30 am on Friday, May 13

Ann Cooksey and Kristi Helmkamp, Appleton Public Library; Denise Chojnacki, Rhinelander District Library, Kerry Pinkner, Waukesha Public Library

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Think Storytime Underground meets New Media. Strengthen your Media Mentor skills with tips from the field such as digital flannel boards for outreach, networking through Google Drive for collection development and troubleshooting technical difficulties. Have an app or new media experience to share? Come and join the fun! No new media? No problem! Walk away prepared to make a case for Media Mentorship as a vital part of librarianship in the 21st century.

Tackling the Tough Stuff: SLP & Beyond!

11:00 am – 12:00 pm on Friday, May 13

Katherine Elchert, Rice Lake Public Library; Georgia Jones, Friday Memorial Library, New Richmond

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Does SLP have your coworkers rolling their eyes and heading towards the door? Stressed out over drop- off daycare invasions? Or, worse yet, worn out from worry over kids left at the library without access to food? Never fear, Georgia and Katherine are here to help! Let's discuss positive, proactive solutions for these sticky SLP challenges. Feel free to bring your own tricky topics for discussion and we can all triage them together!

Read-On WI March Book Selections

Some close to ready-made programming with the Read-On Wisconsin's Baby, Toddler, and Preschool books this month.  Included are activities based on ECRR2 suggested by youth services librarians on the Read-On Literacy Advisory Committee.  Also, this month's selections include a number of books by Wisconsin authors!  Check out the titles HERE.